An Ode to My Rim Brake Wheels, May they Rest in Pieces

My hand-me-down 2005 Mavic Ksyrium wheels finally kicked the can this past weekend. The hub started making a screeching noise and I was feeling some friction and drag as I was free-wheeling downhill. After trying to get them serviced, I was told that this may be a sign that they need to be taken to the bike part graveyard. Maybe a comfortable retirement to a farm upstate will do? Wheels age in dog years and given that mine were over 18 years old it seemed time. 

These wheels were beloved. I didn’t care that their bright red hubs clashed with the green accents on my bike. Together we had rolled up, down and all over the place. A true relic, the original owner had ridden them with 21mm tires back when that was in vogue. I was in mourning.

When confronted with what to do next, I had what felt like a lofty decision to make. I purchased my bike back in 2015, right before disc brakes became commonplace among road bikes. It felt like I had gotten good mileage out of it but there was definitely more life in the frame. I could either:

• Purchase a new or used set of rim brake wheels and commit to my aging bike for another few years; or  

• Seize the moment and upgrade to a new bike with disc brakes

A bike upgrade was very enticing. Disc brakes offer greater braking power and control, especially in wet conditions and, with disc brakes, I’d be able to fit on wider tires (currently the max I can run is 25mm, which is on the smaller side by today's standards). 

That being said, I thoroughly enjoy the simplicity of rim brakes. I’m not close to a bike mechanic and I’m certainly not the friend you want to have on a ride when something goes wrong with your bike. I like that I can get the wheels on and off my bike quickly and that I don’t have to constantly worry about brake rub and carrying around those pesky brake savers. Rim brakes are wide allowing me ample margin for error and adjustment if something seems off. Additionally, the wide pads make them really easy to clean.  

Side Note: My cross bike has discs and I feel like I have used everything under the sun as a disc brake saver so if you need any inspiration you can ask me at the next race – index cards (yep!), business cards (who needs them!), bed bath and beyond coupons (20% off your next purchase of brake savers?!), plastic butter knives (you bet!)

And, truthfully, maybe I’m a small weight weenie at heart. My bike is really light and the thought of the added weight of discs did give me pause. Amateur bike races are won on the uphills, not the downhills. Right?

After much hemming and hawing, I am now the happy owner of another used set of rim brake wheels. 

The rim brake is dead, long live the rim brake!

And as advertised, an ode to my rim brake wheels:

I cried and cried when my old wheels died

A victim of old age, my hubs no longer engage

No more quick releases

Poor magic Ksyrium rests in pieces

A casualty of cantilever brake fever

Forever a maverick

and to honor my Mavics

I’ll take a risk

and forgo a disc

I found a used set of wheels

the price was a steal

Still my Mavics hold a special place in my heart

I look forward to an old, fresh start

Riding up Whiteface Mountain, picture credit: Sammie Dubeau